Method for forming an array of single-wall carbon nanotubes in an electric field and compositions thereof
First Claim
1. A method for forming an array of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (a) providing a material comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the material has a surface;
(b) subjecting the surface to oxidizing conditions sufficient to cause the single-wall carbon nanotubes to break and protrude from the surface; and
(c) applying an electric field to the surface to form an array comprising the single-wall carbon nanotubes on the surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates generally to a forming an array of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in an electric field and compositions thereof. In one embodiment, a purified bucky paper of single-wall carbon nanotubes is used as the starting material. Upon oxidative treatment of the bucky paper surface, many tube and/or rope ends protrude up from the surface of the paper. Disposing the resulting bucky paper in an electric field results in the protruding tubes and or ropes of single-wall carbon nanotubes aligning in a direction substantially perpendicular to the paper surface. These tubes tend to coalesce to form a molecular array. In another embodiment, a molecular array of SWNTs can be made by “combing” the purified bucky paper starting material with a sharp microscopic tip to align the nanotubes.
80 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for forming an array of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
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(a) providing a material comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the material has a surface; (b) subjecting the surface to oxidizing conditions sufficient to cause the single-wall carbon nanotubes to break and protrude from the surface; and (c) applying an electric field to the surface to form an array comprising the single-wall carbon nanotubes on the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for forming a macroscopic molecular array of tubular carbon molecules comprising:
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(a) providing a surface comprising purified single-wall carbon nanotube material; (b) subjecting the surface to oxidizing conditions sufficient to cause short lengths of broken single-wall carbon nanotubes to protrude from the surface; and (c) applying an electric field to the surface to cause the single-wall carbon nanotubes to align in an orientation generally perpendicular to the surface and coalesce into an array. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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Specification